THE OCEANSIDER: Yuletide in Oceanside

By Jerry Keene, Editor, The Oceansider

T’was the night before Yuletide and down at the coast
It was that time of year which the locals love most.

When Oceanside Village came into its own,

Not a trendy resort town, but simply our home.

All the snowbirds were gone, busy chasing the sun
And the tourists stayed home, so we weren’t overrun.
Roseanna’s was closed for its midwinter break
The post office so quiet, Gill could scarce stay awake.

On Pacific no traffic, and to our delight,
No truck campers or trailers; not an RV in sight.
The “tire trail” folks seeking mail or beach sand
Crossed the street without taking their lives in their hands.

There was parking, no barking or trash on the beach.
Every dog poo retrieved; every pet on a leash.
With the STRs empty, their yard lights turned off
Darkened skies revealed stars brightly twinkling aloft.

For those wint’ring in Oceanside, storms were no test
And some distance from relatives sometimes was best.
They had wood stoves or hearths to fend off the gloom
And if family beckoned, they could always use Zoom.

Not to say that the locals were Scrooges or Grinches,
For Christmas Eve fun they had Feast of the Fishes.
And for Christmas Day dinner that was closer and sooner,
They could always check out PHO! PHO! PHO! at The Schooner.

All that said, there’s no question that Oceanside knows
We’re no holiday lure, and we rarely see snow.
And even if Santa could find us and fly here
He would likely start looking for something to buy here.

In the absence of reindeer or shopping mall elves
For holiday spirit, Oceansiders looked to themselves.
At neighborhood gatherings or random chance meetings,
They went out of their way to share holiday greetings.

Spreading warmth and good cheer on our piece of the coast,
Forgiving bad poetry and accepting this toast
From your friendly editor on the eve of Yuletide,
Season’s Greetings to you, and to all Oceanside!